Localization of agonist- and antagonist-binding domains of human corticotropin-releasing factor receptors

The CRF receptors, CRFR1 and CRFR2, are members of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. Despite their considerable sequence similarity, CRFR1 and CRFR2 have quite different affinities for the peptide ligand rat/human CRF. Previous studies using chimeric receptors between human CRFR1 and CRFR2 have identified three potentially important regions in the second and third extracellular domains of CRF receptor for the binding of rat/human CRF. The present report further demonstrates that these same three regions also affect the binding of urocortin and sauvagine, two other members of the CRF peptide family, albeit to different extents. We also show that a fourth region in the third extracellular domain, Asp254, has been identified to be important for sauvagine but not CRF or urocortin binding. Thus, the three peptide ligands not only interact with a different set of regions on CRFR1 and CRFR2 but also differentially interact with some of the same regions. These data could, at least in part, account for the much higher affinity of CRFR2 for urocortin and sauvagine compared with rat/human CRF. We have also identified two amino acid residues, His199 in the third transmembrane domain and Met276 in the fifth transmembrane domain, that are important for binding the non-peptide high-affinity CRFR1 antagonist NBI 27914. Mutations of His199 and Met276 to the corresponding amino acids in CRFR2 each decreased the binding affinity of NBI 27914 for CRFR1 by 40- and 200-fold, respectively. This suggests that the transmembrane regions are critically important in forming the binding pocket for the nonpeptide antagonist.

Ethanol self-administration restores withdrawal-associated deficiencies in accumbal dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine release in dependent rats

Basal forebrain dopamine (DA) and 5-HT neurotransmission has been implicated in the mediation of the acute reinforcing actions of ethanol. Neuroadaptation theories predict that compensatory changes in neurochemical systems that are activated by alcohol acutely may underlie symptoms of withdrawal after chronic administration. To test this hypothesis, the release of DA and 5-HT was monitored by microdialysis in the nucleus accumbens of dependent male Wistar rats at the end of a 3-5 week ethanol (8.7% w/v) liquid diet regimen, during 8 hr of withdrawal, and during renewed availability of ethanol involving (1) the opportunity to operantly self-administer ethanol (10% w/v) for 60 min, followed by (2) unlimited access to the ethanol-liquid diet. Results were compared to control groups pair-fed with ethanol-free liquid diet and trained to self-administer either ethanol or water. In nondependent rats, operant ethanol self-administration increased both DA and 5-HT release in the NAC. Withdrawal from the chronic ethanol diet produced a progressive suppression in the release of these transmitters over the 8 hr withdrawal period. Self-administration of ethanol reinstated and maintained DA release at prewithdrawal levels but failed to completely restore 5-HT efflux. 5-HT levels recovered rapidly, however, within 1 hr of reexposure to ethanol liquid diet. These findings suggest that deficits in accumbal monoamine release may contribute to the negative affective consequences ethanol withdrawal and, thereby, motivate ethanol-seeking behavior in dependent subjects.

Oral alcohol self-administration stimulates dopamine release in the rat nucleus accumbens: genetic and motivational determinants

Dopaminergic neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens may be an important factor in ethanol reinforcement and genetically determined ethanol preference. This hypothesis was tested by measuring dopamine (DA) release by intracranial microdialysis during voluntary oral ethanol self-administration in alcohol-preferring (P) and genetically heterogeneous Wistar rats. The animals were trained to respond for ethanol (10% w/v) or water in a free-choice operant task. Extracellular DA levels in the nucleus accumbens were subsequently monitored during 30-min self-administration sessions and a 15-min "waiting period" before session onset. Ethanol self-administration in all animals was followed by a significant, dose-dependent rise in DA release with maximal effects at approximately 15 min after peak intake. Dose-effect functions revealed significantly steeper slopes for the DA-releasing effects of ethanol in P than in genetically heterogeneous Wistar rats. Over an identical range of ethanol doses and blood alcohol levels, increases in DA efflux ranged from 143% to 459% of basal levels in P rats but only from 142% to 212% in Wistar rats. To differentiate the pharmacological effects of ethanol from the effects of operant responding, additional groups of P and Wistar rats were tested during self-administration of saccharin (0.05% w/v). By contrast with ethanol, saccharin did not substantially elevate extracellular DA levels. A significant, transient increase in DA efflux was, however, observed in both strains of rats during the presession waiting period in the absence of ethanol or saccharin availability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Increases in extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens by cocaine are inversely related to basal levels: effects of acute and repeated administration

Repeated administration of cocaine enhances several of the behavioral and neurochemical responses to subsequent cocaine injections, an effect that has been attributed, in part, to decreased somatodendritic autoreceptor sensitivity of mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) neurons. Such changes in autoregulation may not only modify the direct effects of cocaine on extracellular DA levels but also result in tonically increased basal DA release in the terminal areas of the mesocorticolimbic DA system. The present study was therefore designed to investigate the effects of repeated cocaine administration on basal extracellular DA concentrations in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) using in vivo microdialysis procedures in halothane-anesthetized rats. We subsequently examined the relationship between basal DA levels and the increase in extracellular DA produced by an acute injection of cocaine, and determined whether this relationship was altered by prior, repeated exposure to cocaine. Rats received one daily intraperitoneal injection of cocaine (30 mg/kg) or its vehicle (saline) for 10 consecutive days. On days 1, 3, or 7 after termination of the repeated cocaine treatment, extracellular DA levels in the NAC were determined under basal conditions and following a single intraperitoneal cocaine challenge injection (10 mg/kg) in separate groups of rats. Repeated cocaine administration produced a substantial increase in basal DA release in the NAC that was most prominent on day 1 post-cocaine (mean +/- SEM: 10.7 +/- 2.55 nM vs 3.55 +/- 0.56 nM) but was no longer apparent on day 7 post-cocaine. Higher extracellular DA levels were also observed after cocaine challenge in rats that received repeated cocaine treatments. Similar to the increase in basal release, this effect was most pronounced on day 1 post-cocaine (23.6 +/- 4.36 nM vs 12.61 +/- 1.76 nM) but did not persist through day 7 post-cocaine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Basal extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens are decreased during cocaine withdrawal after unlimited-access self-administration

The effects of withdrawal from cocaine on extracellular dopamine (DA) levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) were examined by intracranial microdialysis in awake rats after periods (9.5-21.75 h) of unlimited-access, intravenous cocaine self-administration. Cocaine withdrawal was associated with significant reductions in basal DA overflow that persisted up to 12 h. Maximal inhibition of DA release (mean +/- S.E.M. 66.15 +/- 3.30 percent of basal levels) was observed between 4-6 h after cessation of cocaine intake and was positively correlated (r = 0.88) with the duration of the preceding self-administration episode. The results suggest that suppression of basal DA release in the NAC is an adaptive consequence of sustained cocaine exposure and may in part underlie the post-cocaine anhedonia observed in behavioral models of cocaine withdrawal.

Glucocorticoids and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulate parathyroid hormone stimulation of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase in rat osteosarcoma cells

Glucocorticoids increase and 1,25-dihydoxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] decreases the activity of PTH-responsive adenylate cyclase, altering intracellular cAMP in a rat osteoblast-like cell line (ROS 17/2.8). This study was undertaken to measure the subsequent activation of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Pretreatment of ROS cells for 2 days with the glucocorticoid triamcinolone acetonide (TRM), shifted the dose-response curve for PKA activation by PTH upward compared to the control value. Basal PKA activity was enhanced 50% by TRM, and the PTH concentration required for maximal activation of PKA decreased from 1.0 to 0.05 ng/ml. At the lowest effective PTH concentration (0.05 ng/ml) the mean PKA activity ratio increased to 0.73 in TRM-treated cells compared with 0.45 in untreated cells. Pretreatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 had opposite effects, shifting the dose-response curve for PKA activation by PTH downward and to the right, decreasing the basal activity ratio from 0.26 to 0.16, and increasing the PTH concentration required for maximal activation to 10 ng/ml. 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated cells stimulated with 0.5-1 ng/ml PTH consistently had lower PKA activity ratios than untreated cells. Simultaneous treatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 reversed the effect of TRM. There were no differences in total PKA activity (2.57 +/- 0.09 pmol 32P/min.micrograms protein) between treatment groups, suggesting that TRM and 1,25-(OH)2D3 do not alter the cellular PKA concentration. In control experiments exogenous PKA was added to sonication buffer of PTH-stimulated cells to verify that the TRM and 1,25-(OH)2D3 shifts in PKA activation at low PTH doses occur before sonication. cAMP-dependent protein kinase activation was also studied by measuring the progressive occupation of regulatory subunit-binding sites by hormonally stimulated endogenous cAMP. [3H] cAMP binding was expressed as the percent change in bound [3H]cAMP per microgram protein compared to that in unstimulated cells not steroid treated. [3H]cAMP binding to all cytosol fractions decreased as PTH increased over the concentration range predicted by our PKA activation experiments. TRM treatment shifted the curve for [3H]cAMP binding to regulatory subunit downward and to the left, and 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment shifted it upward and to the right. In cells treated with both TRM and 1,25-(OH)2D3, the curve was similar to control curve. Sonicating unstimulated cells in buffer containing comparable concentrations of added cAMP did not alter [3H]cAMP binding. These and the previous controls suggest that changes in PKA activation at low doses of PKA reflect cellular events occurring before cell disruption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)